


Arrivals

by The_Dragon_Em



Series: One Big Saiyan Family [7]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Dad Vegeta (Dragon Ball), F/M, Family, Family Dynamics, Gen, M/M, Multi, Name Changes, Nicknames, Past Slavery, Polyamory, Probable PTSD, Relationship Issues, Starting Over, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-05 01:30:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16358054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Dragon_Em/pseuds/The_Dragon_Em
Summary: Immediately after All Our Firsts, Future Trunks explains his sudden arrival and tries to deal with the fact that nothing is how he thought it was going to be.





	Arrivals

**Author's Note:**

> So we've got Future Trunks from Super here, but with the lavender hair from Z for consistency's sake. Plus I like the lavender better. Purple rocks.

It had been precisely fifteen minutes since Future Trunks had arrived, and it was like stepping into a whirlwind. His bag had been sent off to the room that had been picked out for him with surprising speed and he had been ushered onto a couch in the living room with his parents facing him like he'd done something wrong. It was kind of surreal. His father had died when he was too young to remember him, so he'd certainly never had a moment where he had sat across from his parents and faced the music. That wasn't even what had happened now.

"So why are you back?"

Trust his father thrust right to the point. Future Trunks squirmed a little under Vegeta's gaze, then took a deep breath and came out with it. "So you know how Mai and I got sent to an alternate timeline to - settle down, I guess?" It was amazing how much his father could communicate with facial expressions and body language. Trunks hurried on. "Anyway, once we got there it was ... kind of weird. It wasn't just the two of us anymore, and things between us didn't feel anywhere near as intense. They just sort of ... puttered out, especially once I had the time to sit down and really let it sink in how  _old_ she really was. Things just didn't work without all the pressure, I guess. Anyway, she's met someone and is perfectly happy, but I wasn't and I was trying to figure out where I'd last been happy ... and it was here." He shrugged, spreading his hands in surrender. "I thought I'd come back and see if it was all right if I stayed here instead."

"We'd love to have you stay with us, sweetie." Bulma smiled brightly at her 'oldest' son, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "It might be a little confusing at first, but we've gotten used to more complicated things than having two Trunks walking around over the last few years!"

He blushed; his mother was treating him like he was the same age as his counterpart here ... but honestly, he appreciated her affection. "I already thought about that; I figured I could go by Mirai? Just to keep everything simple."  _And to make this really feel like the fresh start I want_.

"Hn. Mirai it is." Vegeta's eyes were boring into him, making the younger man squirm. "We should probably catch you up on the situation here just so there aren't any surprises."

Before he could say anything though, Goku came into the room humming contentedly and perched on the arm of the couch next to Vegeta. He draped himself over the other Saiyan, arm around his shoulder and his cheek resting in the prince's hair; his other hand dropped to rest on his stomach. Wait - was he  _pregnant_? "Oh, hi, you're back!"

"He's staying this time, Kakarot," Vegeta said smoothly, one of his hands joining the other Saiyan's on Goku's rounded belly. "He's going by Mirai. For simplicity's sake."

"Oh. That's nice." Goku paused, rubbing his cheek in Vegeta's hair like a cat. "Do you two want to talk to him alone? He's your son after all."

"You can stay," Vegeta said before Bulma had a chance to speak out. "Now, as I said about surprises ... after we last saw each other, I got involved with Kakarot. Shortly after your mother got pregnant, he did too, so we decided to move Kakarot and his wife and their youngest in here. It's turned out rather nicely ... Kakarot is still married to his wife but it's purely romantic, the women are sleeping together, I'm fucking your mother and Kakarot's woman, and of course, Kakarot and I are a couple."

Mirai's head hurt. "Okay so - Mom, you  _agreed_ to this?"

"I did." She might have her insecurities and issues, but she  _had_ agreed to it.

"And ... there are  _babies_? How did Goku even get pregnant?"

"I may have neglected to mention that Saiyan males are capable both of siring and of carrying children. The woman did scans of your younger self; your reproductive system is fully functional and completely Saiyan."

Trunks groaned. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing that my life's been busy enough that I never needed to know that."

"Your new younger siblings are Bra and Vegeta III; they came a few weeks apart. I had Bra with your mother and little Vegeta with Kakarot. Then Kakarot should be delivering again in four months." That hand caressed Goku's stomach, and the expression on Vegeta's face might almost have been described as a smile. It was kind of creepy, but Goku seemed as happy as a clam to be pregnant and draped on the Prince of All Saiyans.

"Are there any other surprises I should know about?"

"Well," Bulma said, "there are the boys. Trunks and Goten have been in a relationship since - well, about the time you were here last - and apparently they've been sneaking around the house ... _being together_ ... instead of just sticking to the perfectly good bedroom we graciously let them share." She paused, then grudgingly added, "Mostly because if we put them in separate rooms they'd still end up spending the night in the same bed."

"Oh wow, aren't they like - they can't be very old." Mirai tugged on his ear, but time travel and figuring out how old people were didn't really mesh.

"They're fourteen and fifteen. It's apparently as serious as it's possible for two Saiyans to get." She eyed her husband a little judgementally.

"Tch." For some reason, he looked highly annoyed. "They have a very deep, unshakable bond, which everyone who knows them is aware of, and yet I still have to keep repeating myself. Ties like that are  _rare_ for our people, but when they do exist they don't break. They're being remarkably responsible for as young as they are, and that  _should_ be the end of it." He shot his wife a look, then softened slightly. She wasn't near as bad as the banshee.

"Oookaaay, so basically everyone's having sex and I should stay out of the way."

"If you're looking to get laid, Kakarot's off limits, but he might be all right with you going after his wife." Vegeta's smirk was calculated for maximum effect.

Mirai blinked and shifted in discomforted confusion. "Uh, that's all right - I've sworn off older women."

Vegeta cackled, only to be elbowed in the ribs by his wife. "There's an entire world of people out there, and no need to rush," Bulma said gently. "You'll find the right person - or  _people_ \- for you at some point. Keep an open mind."

"Yeah, you never know when somebody's gonna tackle you and  _completely_ rock your world," Goku said cheerfully. Mirai felt a little green at the reminder of his father's prolific sex life.

"If you don't mind, it's been a long day. I'd like to head to bed."

With a hug from his mother and a nod from his father (and an energetic wave from his new 'uncle' or however they were handling this), Mirai managed to extricate himself from his welcome and go to try to process all the new information and figure out what he needed to do next.

* * *

Sleep still clinging to his eyes, Mirai came out for breakfast the next morning in his pajamas and found a chair near the end of the table. He took the piled-high plate he was handed with a grunt of thanks and started eating on autopilot. It was only after he had a mug of black coffee shoved under his nose that he blinked and started heading towards truly being awake, taking the mug and actually bothering to look around the table.

The adults were arranged in a somewhat telling order, with Goku and Vegeta sitting side by side with their wives sitting by them like bookends. It was a little creepy to see his father casually doting over Goku and his pregnant belly. At the same time, Goku was idly holding his wife's hand while eating with the other one. While Vegeta was fretting over whether or not the man carrying his child was getting enough food of the right types, Bulma had on a face that threatened to bite the head off of anyone who bothered her.

Goten and Trunks were tucked in side by side, their thighs brushing under the table; the dark-haired demi-Saiyan kept glancing over at Mirai with a little secretive smile. It was uncomfortable, more so when Trunks noticed and glared at his older self like it was somehow the time traveler's fault.

"What are you doing?" The younger Trunks's whisper was clearly audible.

"Oh, nothing," Goten responded chipperly. "Just thinking about how  _tall_ you're gonna get."

That earned the teenager a kiss from Trunks while Mirai blushed in discomfort at being checked out by a teenager like he was some secret window into the future. Clearing his throat, Mirai tried to nip  _that_ in the bud. "Actually, I spent a lot of my life without enough food, so we probably won't look any more alike in ten or fifteen years than we do now."

Wanting to cut off _that_ conversation before it went further, Mirai turned to the last occupants of the table. The two fourteen-month-olds were perched in high chairs at the end of the table, eating with abandon like only someone with Saiyan blood could. "So these are Bra and ... little Vegeta. Dende, Mom and Dad, they look just like you."

"We mostly call him Vege," Bulma butted in.

Vegeta gave her a half-hearted glare at that, then said, "Vegeta favors Kakarot in the face. The shape and features are much more like his."

"Yeah, but he glares like his daddy!" Goku chimed in cheerfully.

This was going to take a lot more getting used to than Mirai had expected. He brought his coffee to his lips and surveyed the table again; he had willingly put himself into this situation, but it was still a lot for him to wrap his head around. As he looked around at his family again, he noticed something and he was probably going to regret asking, but ... "Uh, what's with all the hickeys?" Everyone one of the teens and adults had at least one, except for Trunks and Bulma. Wait, was that one on Goku a bite mark?

"Claim marks," Vegeta filled in around a bite of bacon. "Saiyan's instinctually mark partners that they're ... _attached_ to. Kakarot's brat lacks the instinct, but Trunks has a very strong drive to do so. Then Kakarot and I mark each other, he marks his woman, and I mark your mother."

"I don't see any on Mom." He shouldn't have said that. He definitely shouldn't have said that.

Vegeta gave a slow, predatory smile. "That doesn't mean they're not there."

Mirai groaned, wondering how long it was going to be before he went through a full day - or even just breakfast - without wondering if he'd made the right decision by coming here. He knew he had - he didn't want to go back  _there_ , where Mai was the only one he knew and she was both a reminder of a messy and confusing breakup and pregnant with someone else's child.  _I certainly never felt an urge to **mark** her, so maybe that means we weren't meant to be in the first place._ He pushed his eggs around on his plate, then went back to eating. Not much could put a demi-Saiyan off of food for long, after all, especially when it was such a luxury for him to actually have enough to eat.

Trying to talk about more normal things than the tangled up family he'd stumbled into, Mirai spoke up again. "I'm used to being busy, so I should probably find something to do. A job or something. The only problem is I don't legally ... you know, exist."

"You can train with me." It was more of an order than an offer.

"Hey, but I want to train with you!" Goku whined.

"We  _will_ , in about six months when you've given birth and healed fully. My answer isn't going to change and I'm not going to allow you to push yourself too hard in your condition!"

"But  _Vegeta_ , I feel fine!"

"Actually, Dad," Mirai butt in quickly, "I was wanting to do something, uh, different. I've spent my entire life training for or fighting the next big evil monster, and I really could use a break from that. Obviously, I'll be here if something else attacks  _here_ , but I want to find something that doesn't make me constantly feel like I'm about to die." Oh right, the kids. He glanced over at them, but they were holding hands and snuggling as they finished breakfast, utterly unphased by his bluntness.

"Don't worry sweetie, we'll pick apart your skills and find you something to do around here," Bulma said brightly. "One of the perks of running the place is that I can slip you in wherever you're happy, official government ID or no."

"Thanks, Mom," Mirai said, relaxing slightly. "I don't know how many of my skills are going to be  _applicable_ but I'm sure we'll find something."

"You're my son, I know we'll find just the thing for you." She was clearly proud and proprietary; honestly, her tone sounded kind of like Vegeta.

The teens stood up from the table suddenly, looking at each other almost uncomfortably warmly. "We're done," Trunks said without taking his eyes off of Goten. "Thanks for breakfast, Mrs. Son!"

As they ran off, Mirai turned his attention fully to his breakfast. Yep, this was going to take a lot of getting used to.

* * *

Unused as he was to family drama, Mirai didn't initially realize what he was hearing was a sign that he should turn around and go somewhere else - anywhere else. He was just trying to go meet his mother so that they could assess his skills and figure out what he might be good at; he wasn't thinking that he might end up stumbling upon something that might be as bad as any of his battles in his own timeline. He was thankfully still out of site when he realized what was going on and worked on backing away as quickly and quietly as possible. This was definitely not his fight, and the only reasonable course of action was to retreat.

Around the corner from where Mirai had been a moment before, Bulma and Vegeta stood, hands on hips, glaring at each other as though they were reflections in some bizarre mirror. The argument had been going on for some time, and frustration was etched on both their faces as they seethed at each other, nowhere near done but both unsure what to say to actually make a move towards resolving this. 

"Sometimes -" He broke off with a harsh sigh.

"Sometimes what?" she hissed, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Sometimes I wish that Kakarot liked women so I could dump the two of you in bed together and prove once and for all that I can manage both of you!"

Her eyes narrowed at her husband. "You think this is going to be solved by a  _threesome_?"

"I think that _you_  think I am so feeble as to be unable to properly care for two mates at once! I am perfectly capable of loving you and loving Kakarot without either love making the other somehow less!" He was seething, but it was clear he'd said more than he wanted to admit straight out. In a quiet, stiff tone he continued, "There must be some way I can show you that I am capable of balancing  _both_ your needs without neglecting either one of you."

"You  _have_ been neglecting me."

The temper was back. "Woman, I have been tending to the man _carrying_ my  _child_ to try to assure that the baby is healthy and the birth is as easy as possible. I am aware that I shirked my duties when you carried Trunks but I was  _just_ as attentive when you had Bra! And I know for a fact that Kakarot felt neglected when my attention was on you before we found out that he was with child as well. His harpy told me all about how he was acting like a wounded puppy, but even he knew better than to complain about me tending to my pregnant wife!"

"When did you start gossiping with Chi-Chi?"

The faintest brush of pink colored his cheeks and Vegeta suddenly was very interested in a potted plant. "She gets shrill if I try to leave before she spends at least ten to twenty minutes nattering my ear off." He was clearly embarrassed that he'd gotten to a point in his life where he could be held captive for pillow talk with a casual sex partner.

Bulma made a valiant effort to maintain a straight face, then burst out laughing. Vegeta growled at her, and she just leaned in and nipped his lower lip harshly. "So you pillow talk with Chi-Chi, you dote on Goku, and I'm chopped liver."

"Woman, why can't you just accept that if I didn't still care for you I would have stopped marking you?"

She threw her hands in the air in frustration. "I'm  _not Saiyan_!"

"Which is why I went through with that inane ceremony and  _married you_!"

"It is not  _inane_ \- MPH!"

Vegeta had grabbed his wife by the wrist, pulling her in and kissing her demandingly. His other hand went around to the small of her back, and he pressed her close as he teased her lips apart. She struggled a little, then melted in against him. This might not solve anything, but it at least helped him to communicate some of what he had so much trouble putting into words. He didn't pull back until she was breathless and weak at the knees, and Vegeta kept her in his arms to help her stay on her feet.

"Kakarot could die, Bulma. I know that pregnancy is not perfectly safe for humans, but he's going to be torn open  _again_ in a few months. I tried with you, but with Kakarot I actually know what I'm doing and it's my responsibility to do as much as I can to make sure he and the baby both survive. You were the one who insisted I take care of him last time. I'm just doing the same thing again."

"I know, you explained how dangerous this is and I was  _there_ when he had Vege. That doesn't keep me from feeling like I made a mistake when I told you it was okay to go ahead and go after Goku." She took a deep breath, trying not to start crying. "When did you fall in love with him?"

Vegeta was very quiet. The idea that Bulma might regret everything about their current arrangement stung because honestly, Vegeta'd never felt more comfortable here than since things had stopped being so straight-laced and quintessentially  _human_. He hesitated over her question, then slowly answered. "I don't know. It might have been before any of this happened. I realized it near the end of his pregnancy, but I don't know when I fell for him. He's always had an - effect - on me."

Bulma wasn't actually surprised, but it hurt to have him admit it. It would have hurt more if he  _hadn't_ told her. "It took you so long to fall for me."

"I didn't want to," Vegeta said softly. He caressed her cheek gently, his forehead resting against hers. "You dragged me fighting tooth and nail every step of the way. You conquered me. If I still had a kingdom, you would be my queen. Kakarot, despite being stronger than me, is completely submissive to me. I love you both equally, but you are not the same." He kissed her gently. "Woman, if Kakarot came whining that I was spending too much time with you, I wouldn't talk it out with him. I'd tell him to go to his room until he was done sulking. You and I, him and me, it doesn't compare. You're  _different_ , or I wouldn't need you both."

She was softening, but still upset. "I used to be enough for you."

He was silent for a long moment. How could he ever explain how he'd been fighting himself all that time without wounding her? "I did my best to assimilate. I'm never going to be human. I told you before all this started that monogamy isn't normal for Saiyans. I've learned to do reasonably well in a long-term relationship, to the point that I don't want to lose you, but I feel so much more myself since all this has started. Kakarot's blossoming too. There has to be some way to make you as happy and comfortable as we are." Chi-Chi could leave for all he cared, although Kakarot would be terribly distraught if she did. He'd deal with it if anything happened on that front; right now he was trying to mend things with his wife. Right now he was about to say something that gave up an uncomfortable amount of control. "Tell me what to do to make you happy."

Bulma could count on one hand the times that Vegeta had spoken those words and still have fingers to spare. One time was when he'd agreed to marry her; that was how big this was. Her first impulse was to demand they go back to how things had been before ... but she actually loved their new family. On top of that, she wasn't so cruel and selfish as to demand Vegeta and Goku be separated when they had _children_ together.

"Do you absolutely need to sleep with Goku?" That was one of the big things that had been bothering her lately.

Vegeta looked uncomfortable. "No. It's just more comfortable for both of us with the pregnancy."

"Fine, we can all three share. I miss having you in my bed at night. After he has the baby, we can talk again about bedroom arrangements."

"We could always get a bigger bed and all sleep together. It might make things simpler."

"Or more complicated. As I said, we can discuss it."

"Is this really what you need me to do? It seems so ... small. And awkward; Kakarot sprawls out like he's trying to fill the bed on his own if I don't corral him."

Bulma looked at him thoughtfully. "Vegeta, all I want is to feel like I'm special to you ... like I'm still your wife."

"You will always be my wife. No one can take your place in my heart." He brushed a thumb against her lip. "I'll even squeeze into bed with both you and Kakarot if that's what makes you happy."

She wrinkled her nose, having second thoughts about that particular demand. "Will I get any sleep?"

"He snores. More when he's pregnant."

"Yeah, we'll skip that and I'll just try to remember that you're only with him every  _single_ night because he's having another baby." She sighed. "I love you. I just need you to remind me I'm your queen. Regularly."

He had an idea for how to do that, although it had the unfortunate side effect of making him want to do something similar for Kakarot. Of course one was a token of affection and regard and the other more of a very permanent claim mark, but he wasn't sure the woman would see the difference. "I may love you equally, but I love you differently. Kakarot would  _hate_ it if I treated him the way I treat you, and you'd be equally displeased if I started treating you the way I do him." She stood up to him when Kakarot would obey. She was as close to an equal as he would admit that he had. Kakarot he  _owned_ , and he'd said so straight out to the other Saiyan. During sex. The other man had moaned in response. He should probably have a frank conversation about exactly what he'd meant at some point. "I have an idea about how to show the two of you how I care, and I hope it will also make clear that I am not abandoning you for Kakarot, nor placing him above you. Will you trust me to do this?"

She had melted completely from her earlier fury. "All I want is to feel like I haven't lost you."

"You never will, my heart."

* * *

The blue-haired scientist was in a good mood when she arrived at the offices where Mirai was waiting, which he hoped meant his parents had worked out whatever they had been yelling at each other about. She stopped at a few desks and exchanged a few words with her employees before coming over to sit on the edge of the desk her time traveler son was awkwardly perched at. He immediately decided not to bring up whatever he'd stumbled upon, and instead to focus on why they were there. "So how do we do this?"

"Interview, maybe an aptitude test, and if what we try first doesn't work out we can always move you to something else. So, baby, what are you good at?"

"Martial arts; hand to hand combat; swordsmanship; battle strategies and tactics; the use, care, and maintenance of tactical weaponry; survival skills; locating and improving fortifications; and mechanical and scientific skills I picked up from you." His answer was given in a perfect deadpan, and he pushed his hair back from his face as he looked up towards his mother. Not that she was exactly the same, not in this timeline, but she was as close as he had. "Like I said earlier, I want something different. I know Dad won't get it, but ... I'm worn out, Mom. I've spent my whole life having to look over my shoulder. I need someone that's not about fighting for my life - Dende, for the _world_. Can we figure something out?"

"Sure honey. We can go in the lab and work out how much of that mechanical and scientific knowledge you picked up from me, and we'll find you something that has nothing to do with  _any_ of what you want to get away from."

Except she wasn't the one who'd taught him; that had been  _his_ mother. He did the best not to differentiate out loud, but they were ...  _different._ Without a further word, Mirai followed his mom - somewhere between  _adopted_ and actually his mother - and looked around the lab as they entered. This particular one was devoid of other humanoid life and obviously sized for one person; it took a moment for him to recognize his mother's personal lab with the difference in the way things were set up.  _Because they have different lives. Different priorities._

"All right, let's get started!" Bulma clapped her hands and settled in to pick her future son's brain, prying out minuscule details of knowledge and skill. What she found surprised him, because while he didn't know everything she did, he  _did_ know things she  _didn't_ \- either thing she'd learned and taught him in the desperate future they shared, or things he'd managed to work out on his own. He had a sharp intellect and while he wasn't as traditionally educated as she'd have demanded from a normal employee, he was undeniably gifted.

Their conversation wrapped up, and Bulma on the edge of her desk, tapping a pencil against her lips. "I wasn't expecting this with where you came from, but I think that I can fit you in as a freelance scientist, Mirai. You'd get to work pretty much like I do - study and invent whatever comes to mind. Unless you'd like something more structured?"

Mirai smiled, both excited and relieved. "Actually, Mom, that sounds wonderful. It'll be nice to just be able to appreciate science for itself and make things just because I want to."

"Good! I'll assign you a lab and you can start tomorrow. No need to rush anything." Slinging her arm around her son's shoulder, she led him out of the work area of the complex and towards their home. "I know things are different than the last time you were here, so take whatever time you need to settle in. We're really glad to have you here, and I really want you to find what makes you happy." She patted his cheek. "No one else can tell you what that is."

"Right now I think I'm going to go for a walk," he said, ducking a little shyly. "It's been a while since I've been around people." Especially since he'd been around  _normal_ people. If he wanted to integrate himself into life here, he had to be able to be around people casually and without constantly looking over his shoulder. "Any suggestions of good places to go hang out?"

"Of course I have suggestions!" Bulma said brightly, immediately proceeding to overwhelm Mirai with a motherlode of information about good hangouts in West City. It was a lot to deal with, especially when he was used to scrounging for cans of tuna in desolate ruins.

"All right, thanks, Mom!" he said brightly, trying to keep his lowkey panic out of his voice. She passed him a card with Mirai Briefs printed on it (he had no idea how she'd gotten that so fast) and he hurried out the door to try and find something that wasn't too overwhelming.

Mirai wandered around for a while, hands in the pockets of the Capsule Corp jacket he'd found among the clothes that had appeared in his room sometime during the night. It was so strange to see the world like this knowing that he was here for good. He didn't know how long he'd take to get used to this, but this was what he wanted. Someplace that was peaceful more often than not. Somewhere there was still something to save when danger did come calling.

He wound up at a cafe with a cup of some fancy coffee or other when a perky short-haired blonde in her mid-twenties sat down across from him. "Hi! I haven't seen you around here before ... although you  _do_ look kind of familiar ..." She inspected him in a way it took him a moment to process as completely unthreatening. "Do you have a younger brother cousin or something? I swear you look just like my friend Gohan's brother's friend."

"Yeah, uh, we're related," Mirai said awkwardly. She said she knew Gohan, though, so she was probably okay. "Trunks and I, I mean. Gohan and I have known each other since we were pretty young. I'm Mirai Briefs."

"Erasa. I went to high school with Gohan and Videl. Isn't Pan just the cutest?"

"She was the last time I saw her, but I've been traveling for a while so I haven't seen Gohan and his family in a couple of years. Even then I wasn't here very long, and this time I just got into town last night."

"What were you doing all that time?" She reached out and put her hand on his free one, and for a moment Mirai just stared at it. The last person to do something like that was Mai ...

Shaking his head slightly, he gave a forced smile and hoped it would pass for the real thing. "It's nothing to write home about. A lot of traveling, some studying, that sort of thing. I don't really even have any good stories out of it, but I'm going to be working at Capsule Corp now. It'll be good to settle down." Especially without the constant threat of complete destruction of everything he'd held dear. It had taken three decades, but everything that he loved from his own timeline had been stripped from him. At least he had this home here to try to fit into ...

"Capsule Corp is a good job, although last I heard from Gohan things had gotten complicated. Something about his family moving in with the Briefs?" She tossed her head casually to the side and Mirai suddenly wished he knew more about women - about romantic interactions in general! He had  _no_ idea if she was flirting or just friendly. "Just in case you're living there too."

"Yeah, well, the two families are close, and there's lots of room. I mean I landed on the doorstep and there was no fussing about fitting me in; it was just straight to an empty room. Nobody's crowded at all." He was pretty sure that his parents didn't particularly want the whole  _situation_ getting out. While he hadn't had to deal with the media, his mom had used to talk about what that had been like some and it was probably worse now than it was in the stories. Even he could figure out that any headline about his parents and the Sons would not be considered a good thing. "The Briefs and the Sons have been friends for years, so I guess it just doesn't seem that weird."

"Huh, well you know how gossip is. It's almost always blown out of proportion." She smiled, and he swallowed. The judges were still out on the flirting or friendly front.

"Can you imagine the headlines if someone got the wrong idea? I mean I think Goten's starting high school; that's probably why the Sons might have relocated." Dende, she was going to  _know_ he was trying to hard to make things look normal.  _It would help if there wasn't actually a massive secret. Dende, I'm the only one past puberty living at the compound who's not having sex._

"Okaaay." She looked a touch suspicious. She was pretty and nice but Mirai was starting to feel like she was going to make him regret this conversation. "Well, you'd know better than me."

The bottom of his cup looked like salvation. "Well, Erasa, it was nice to meet you! I'll see you around, okay?"

"Sure! And I know where you live." She winked at him. It was hard to flee a pretty girl maybe flirting with you while maintaining a reasonable level of composure, but somehow he managed it.

* * *

Mirai passed them going in when Goku and Chi-Chi were on the way out. The married couple walked arm in arm, as though they were still the only people in each other's lives. As they paused at a corner, Goku put his hand over Chi-Chi's on his arm, patting absently before they continued on.

They settled at a restaurant, although Goku had already eaten so that he'd be content with a human-sized portion now. This was exciting; they'd never been on a date before, and it was definitely something that Goku was eager to treat his wife to. They had a twenty-five-year-old son, another who was fourteen, a granddaughter who was racing towards three, and had been married for twenty-six years. This should have happened a long time ago, but they'd met twice before they got married and somehow it hadn't occurred to either of them to date  _after_ they were married.

Honestly, Goku thought that everything coming out so that they both understood  _why_ he didn't want to have sex with his wife had freed them both to make the relationship they did have so much better. They even shared a bed and talked late into the night sometimes, though not recently. Vegeta got protective of those carrying his babies, and this time around there was no Bulma to take part of the brunt off of him. Oh well, Goku wouldn't be pregnant forever. Probably. He'd gotten pregnant the second time about nine months after they had Vege ... but there was no way that could keep happening, right?

Sitting beside his wife, Goku draped an arm around her shoulder as she held up a menu for both of them to look at it. Goku licked his lips, then leaned in to rest his head against his wife's hair. He still loved Chi and he always would, but since that day that Vegeta had shown up to 'borrow' him, they were both happier. There were still issues, but they both understood more of what was going on.

"What d'you think looks good?" he asked, reminding himself that he was only having one plate here. This was alone time to enjoy being together, no other lovers and no kids. Except for the one that was practicing their kicks on the inside of Goku's ribcage.

"Oh, how about this?"

His eyes flicked to Chi-Chi's suggestion. "We could both get that, and maybe some sake for you?" Goku was currently restricted to a short list of beverages, but even if he wasn't having his diet nitpicked by his lover he would have known better than to drink alcohol while pregnant.

"How about we both have water," she suggested tenderly, patting his hand lovingly.

 _This is what the rest of my life is gonna look like. Chi-Chi and Vegeta, they balance me out._ Two sets of firm hands guiding him, no confusion about what was going on in either relationship. He knew where he stood with both of them. He loved both of them. Chi-Chi's love fulfilled the desires pressed into him from his life on Earth; his relationship with Vegeta met his Saiyan needs.

The baby kicked particularly hard. "Oof. Gohan and Goten had to kick you  _really_ hard." She'd never really complained about it, but she was so much more delicate than he was and carrying half-Saiyan babies had to have been hard on her.

"They were always strong," she agreed, putting down the menu. She put in an order for their meal, knowing now that Goku _liked_  letting his partners lead him around, and then she turned back to her husband. "Is it hitting you in the lungs?"

"Ribs," Goku answered. "I dunno how yours didn't get broken."

"Goten did crack two of them. Gohan was actually easier."

Oh. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for that. If I'd known you were  _actually_  pregnant - but I didn't think we'd managed it, and I thought it was for the best if I stayed dead. I didn't know you'd need me."

"I understand why you stayed away, dear, but I'll always need you. We'll always need you, the whole family." She patted his cheek fondly. "Now you know better than to do it again."

Goku grunted as he received another internal blow, rubbing his stomach in an effort to calm the baby. "I'm proud of our boys, Chi, and I'll always be proud of you for carrying them so well. You're so strong." He paused. "Do you want another? With all the babies around?" He'd give her another baby if that's what she wanted.

"No, I think I like settling into being a grandmother," Chi-Chi said calmly, but she blushed as she said it, pleased that he'd made the offer. "I can dote on Pan all I want and hopefully Gohan and Videl will have another one, too. I already raised two half-Saiyans, and I don't think I'm up to starting over at my age."

"Forty-four isn't that old," Goku objected. Of course, even though the calendar said they were both that age, Goku wasn't really sure how old he actually was between the time he'd spent dead and the time he'd spent in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Plus Saiyans stayed young for a really long time. It seemed an odd time to realize it and maybe it was because Chi-Chi was ready to just be a grandmother while Goku was having babies, but it really hit Goku that they were going to spend the rest of  _her_ life together ... not the rest of his. "I mean, we still have time," he said as he was counting on his fingers. "Am I forty?" Chi-Chi looked at him oddly. "You know I was dead for a year after Raditz, and seven after Cell, so I subtract eight, and then I've been in the time chamber twice - once for a year, and once for three years. That's forty, right?"

Chi-Chi sighed, and Goku recognized the look on her face as a sign she was trying to decide whether or not to be mad at him. He immediately tried to find a way to backpedal, but his wife beat him to it. "I think that's about right." She paused, drinking some water. "I really have thought about it Goku, and I don't want to have more children. I'm happy with how things are."

He didn't know whether or not she was telling the truth. He never did when she said things like that. "Do you want to do anything else after dinner?" He was trying to make this date - their  _first_ date - special.

"Maybe we can go for a walk together," she suggested. "You won't be too strained will you?"

"Nah. Vegeta's fine with me doing stuff like that; he just won't let me do any real training or use the gravity chamber or anything like that."

"It sound's like Vegeta has more sense than you do," Chi-Chi said somewhat judgementally. It was a good thing that Goku liked being managed because he certainly needed it.

"Aw, don't be like that Chi! I can take care of myself. Vegeta's just being overprotective."

"Right now Vegeta knows what you need more than  _you_ do. He actually knows what a pregnant Saiyan needs, and without him you'd just go on like normal and hope for the best."

He supposed that was true, but he didn't have to like it. He ate far more slowly than usual, trying to appear 'normal', his thoughts wandering. With babies on the brain, it was no wonder where his mind finally landed. "Do you ever worry you might end up having a baby with Vegeta? I mean since you don't want one, and he has  _five_ if you count Mirai and this one." He patted his stomach.

"We discussed it and it's highly unlikely between my age and his more  _normal_ Saiyan fertility. I suppose if it happens that's the universe telling me there's one more baby for me to raise after all ... although he'll be insufferable if it does, since then he'll have children with all three of us."

"Yeah, he'd like that," Goku agreed. This time the fond smile wasn't for his wife.

At least Goku was mostly keeping the evening about them, and Chi-Chi couldn't really fault him for loving the father of his younger children. "It really wouldn't bother you if we had a little surprise?"

"Of course not. Vegeta might not always show it but he loves being a dad, and you love being a mom, so how could I be anything but happy for you? Besides, just because you don't want to try for a baby doesn't mean one won't come anyway. Sometimes babies have plans of their own." He grunted again, his face scrunched up as he peered down at his belly. "This one plans to beat up Daddy."

* * *

If there was one thing that Mirai thought he'd never see it was Vegeta crouched on all fours on the living room floor and growling playfully at the pair of toddlers in front of him. This was obviously some sort of Saiyan game to teach children how to fight and all Mirai could think of was the random fact that lions would pretend their cubs were hurting them to give them confidence in their hunting skills.  _That's really what it comes down to, isn't it? Saiyans are a lot more in tune with their animal instincts._ Add that to cultural differences, and it was quite the feat for Vegeta and Goku to have managed mostly stable marriages with human women for as long as they had. Maybe it had just gotten to the point where something had to give.

Leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed in a pose that he didn't realize was the spitting image of his father's posture, Mirai watched as Bra giggled and Vege pulled his chubby little arm back and punched his father square in the nose. Vegeta pulled back with a snarl and dramatically clutched his nose for a moment, then got back into play fighting with Vege and trying to pull Bra into the game.  _Yep. Dad's a lion._

"Did you ever do that with Trunks?" His own version of his father had never really had the chance.

For a moment Vegeta was quiet, batting at the toddlers and letting Vege get another hit in. When he spoke, his voice was somber. "No. I wasn't particularly involved until he was too old to play like this. But just because I made mistakes in the past doesn't mean I can't do it right this time around."

"You've got plenty of opportunities."

"Kakarot is freakishly fertile. I am also aware that it's not too late for me to be a father to you and Trunks, though I'm not sure the boy always appreciates it."

"No one appreciates their parents all the time," Mirai said wistfully. "It's only later on that you realize you've taken them for granted."

Vegeta grunted, gently headbutting Vege while looking out of the corner of his eye to see if Bra was going to come to the defense of her slightly younger brother. They were close enough in age that he would have expected a stronger sibling bond between the pair, but Bra was like a miniature copy of Bulma and Vegeta III had a personality very much like his father's. "Well, I'm not dead in this timeline, and since you're staying ..." He glanced up at Mirai. "Nothing wrong with having an extra son. Even if you don't seem to want to train."

"Thirty years in hell, Dad, and I'm only half-Saiyan. I just need to breathe for a while and start feeling  _safe_ again."

"I had my own hell, boy. I know what it's like to fight yourself once you don't have to look over your shoulder constantly anymore." He gave up playing with the toddlers for the moment, sitting up on his haunches while they either played or fought - Mirai couldn't tell. "It took me a while to balance myself out, to find ways to feel in control in my life." He paused. "Of course, that's how I wound up a father for the first time, and constantly chasing Kakarot's ass for the next couple decades."

"So Mom and Goku - Goku when he was still your rival - did a lot to help you get through ... everything?"

"You mean my father being forced to give me to a tyrant when I was a small child, and me spending decades as a slave in all but name?" His voice was dry, emotionless. "They did. As much as I resisted my relationship with your mother, she helped me feel like a man, like my own person. Kakarot ... he gave me someone to hate, to chase after, to pit myself against." He laughed. "Then one day I'm sitting there with him close to bursting with our child, and I realize I have no idea when hate and obsession turned to love. It might not be people for you. I thought maybe you and that Mai girl would help each other heal, but that didn't work out. Fighting, training, that helped me. I want it to be an answer for you because it's your heritage to be a warrior, but half of you is human. Either way you still are a warrior; you've got a fight on your hands while you find your way to a place you're happy."

Mirai stood in silence, trying to process what his father was telling him ... even trying to catch up with the fact that Vegeta was actually being open and telling him about this, even this sparsely. The Prince of All Saiyans was a man of few words, and that had been a lot of information packed into a few sentences. He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair, thinking about what his father had said.

Because they had this in common. They'd both spent decades constantly fighting for their lives.

"Mom's giving me a lab and letting me do whatever I like, so there's that. It'll be nice to dig into what I can do scientifically without the outcome being life or death." He paused. "The right sort of training might help, too, but I think I'm going to have to go to Goku for it."

There was a heartbeat of silence. "Because my style is more brutal." The two of them could conquer any world they wanted, together or separately, but they had distinctly different fighting styles. Vegeta was fire, his lover water, both devastating. A thought crossed his mind and Vegeta said, "Both Gohan and Piccolo are alive in this timeline. You could go to your teacher or your teacher's teacher. If you want to go to him though, moderate activity is good for Kakarot and the baby."

"Dende, it's still weird that we can get pregnant. You didn't think it might be important to tell me the first time I came around when I was seventeen?"

"With you looking so human and not even being born with a tail ..." Vegeta shrugged. "Besides, it's hardly uncommon for halfbreeds of any sort to be sterile. The next time I saw you Gohan had his baby, but you had Mai. It didn't come up at all until I was explaining Saiyan sexuality to your mother after you'd gone off to what was  _supposed_ to be your new life."

"The only reason I never showed up here asking how the fuck I was pregnant is that I didn't have  _time_ for any of that."

Vegeta shrewdly assessed his son. "You're a virgin."

"What? Why would you think -"

"Because you're objecting instead of just denying it. It's not like you had much in the way of chances. I'm surprised I didn't put it together earlier."

"I mean - there weren't very many  _people_."

"Hn. Don't let your brother know, he'll be insufferable."

"Hah, yeah at that age I was training and fighting the androids and waiting for Mom to finish the time machine. It's a little weird seeing how different his life is." He paused. "Also that he's involved with somebody that would never have been conceived if I didn't come back and bring Goku that heart medicine. Honestly, when I stop and think about how many things here are only here because of Mom's time machine, it's completely overwhelming."

"Hn, I suppose I understand that. Just don't take any sort of credit for the boys' relationship in front of the women. They'll find some way to turn that into  _blaming_ you." The toddlers' play fight turned into crying and hairpulling, and Vegeta handily picked them both up and settled them on opposite hips. "There is a lot, though. I wouldn't have Kakarot or the little ones if not for you. I wouldn't have even really had Bulma. Just another shallow grave."

The door opened and cut off any further conversation. Goku and Chi-Chi walked in arm-in-arm, laughing happily together. It was a wonder to see them so content when Goku was pregnant with someone else's baby, but they seemed perfectly happy. The pregnant Saiyan even affectionately rubbed his cheek against the top of his wife's hair, smiling broadly. "Hey, Vegeta, you okay if I spend tonight with Chi? Nothin's gonna happen to the baby in one night, and it's been a while."

Vegeta's face went a little sour for a moment, and then he sighed. "I suppose you're right, and Bulma's been wanting me to spend more time with her as well. However, if anything  _does_ go wrong I won't let you out of my sight again until you've had the baby  _and_ heal fully."

Goku laughed, coming over to give Vegeta a kiss and ruffle their son's hair all without letting go of his wife. "I've been takin' care of myself since I was little. I can survive one night without the Prince of All Saiyans protecting me. Go make Bulma happy tonight, an' I'll see you at breakfast safe and sound."

"Tch." He caressed his lover's cheek gently. "I'll see you in the morning."

As the Sons wandered off towards one of their bedrooms (Mirai was putting money on their destination being Chi-Chi's room) Vegeta watched them go ... actually, Mirai was pretty sure that his father was checking out the pregnant Saiyan's ass. The lavender-haired cleared his throat, inspecting the ceiling.

"Boy, the most powerful man in existence is having my child. I'm allowed to look."

"I've been here for twenty-four hours, Dad. You know what I've already figured out? This is an incredibly awkward house to be a virgin in."

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the Vegebul and Gochi interludes, they were fun to write!
> 
> Also while writing on my phone means I can get things down while I'm waiting, the nature of phone keyboards plus the fact my screen is cracked means that the need to proofread is exponentially increased.


End file.
